This invention pertains to the valve art. More particularly, it is directed at providing an inexpensive, disposable, tamperproof shipping valve for containers of fluids, especially those under pressure.
Many fluids, such as soft drink syrups, carbonated beverages or beers, chemicals, and gases or other liquids, commonly are shipped to the point of consumption or use in stainless steel shipping dispensers. Such containers are there mated with myriad external dispensing lines and delivery of fluid afforded on demand. Until such connection, they must remain hermetically sealed to avoid contamination of the contents. Hence, any degradation of this airtight seal during shipment, albeit to be avoided, must be easily recognizable. Seals, characterized by this property, are termed "tamperproof". Any tampering with or damage to such seals is apparent prior to dispensing means connection. Thus, mistaken use of contaminated fluids can be prevented by simple observation.
These commonly used metal shipping containers are very costly to purchase. Moreover, they require return and difficult, time consuming cleaning prior to refilling for reuse. A one-way throw-away shipping container is needed to replace such metal dispensers. Some of these are now known, for example those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,261,621, 2,623,443, 2,623,445, 3,178,088, 3,428,239 and 3,608,771 and British Pat. Specification No. 428,909. However, any economy fostered by the use of such disposable shipping containers has been substantially blunted by that attendant expense associated with the standard sealing and connecting valves used therein.
These prior valves, commonly used to connect the shipping container to the check or relief valve of an external dispensing means, are of four-piece construction. They include a valve housing, a spring, a spring-loaded means for releasing the check or relief valve for delivery flow control, and a restraining washer to position the spring and releasing means for ultimate connection. Further, these valves are not in themselves tamperproof. They must be capped with an additional or fifth tamperproof piece to display this important attribute of any shipping container. Removable tamperproof caps useful for this purpose are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,567,061 and 3,608,771.
Other connecting valves, well known in the art, do not avoid this complex construction so as to be useful as both a disposable tamperproof seal and check valve release means in fluid shipping containers. Some of these valves, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,315, 2,958,545 and 3,141,470, albeit tamperproof, are of complex construction and do not provide a check valve releasing means. Others such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,586,858, 2,814,418, 3,116,747, 3,158,165, 3,195,779, 3,592,351, 3,762,606 and 3,884,387 are of simple construction but provide only container sealing or resealing. None avail tamperproof sealing and release of check valve dispensing means.